New Quizzes Using Respondus LockDown Browser Don't Save Settings on Course Copy

[JamesSekcienski]

Is there a timeframe for when the Respondus integration with New Quizzes will be fixed?  it doesn't look like there is anything on the Roadmap for this.  I also still don't see this noted in Known Issues even though it has been a known issue for months.

When using Classic Quizzes, you can configure all the settings for Respondus LockDown Browser on the quizzes you want to use it with.  Then, when you copied these quizzes through course copy or blueprint sync, the Respondus LockDown Browser settings would be copied over to the new course as well.  There was no need to go through each quiz and enable LockDown Browser and/or Monitor for each quiz.

However, with New Quizzes, all the settings for Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor are lost when copied.  We follow the same process of setting up the New Quizzes to use Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor in our blueprint courses, but when we perform a blueprint sync and/or course copy, none of the Respondus LockDown Browser settings are carried over.  instead the copied versions of the quizzes have no record of Respondus LockDown Browser being set for them and the only reason we know it should have the settings enabled is because the Quiz names include the naming convention required for Respondus LockDown Browser to work.  We then have to spend a lot of extra time going through each copied course and quiz to re-enable Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor with the appropriate settings.

[RebeccaMoulder]

@JamesSekcienski I'm not optimistic that the compatibility between Respondus LockDown Browser and New Quizzes will improve, given that they're both LTI tools. I've reached out to Respondus and Instructure about it and both put the blame on the configuration of the other tool. 

LockDown Browser used with Blueprint courses containing New Quizzes are also problematic. New Quizzes now promises full compatibility with Blueprint (meaning that subsequent syncs/changes will get pushed out to child sites, not just the initial sync). But that only works if the New Quizzes are locked, which you cannot do if also using Respondus LockDown Browser since the tool changes the name of the quiz when it's enabled (and that can't happen if the quiz is locked). It's a Catch 22 and one that means we have to still rely on the workaround of building New Quizzes exams in a sandbox site and not copying to the Blueprint template until it is absolutely finalized. That still means enabling LockDown Browser for each individual child site, too. 

[JamesSekcienski]

@RebeccaMoulder

Respondus Support stated it is an issue with the copy process, which is fully managed by Canvas and that they reported the issue initially back in 2022.  Canvas Support told me multiple users have reported this issue and that the engineering team is still investigating.  Considering one of the replies I received also said that it isn't a feature currently available with New Quizzes, it is frustrating to not see that detailed in Canvas Community.  If we had known about this limitation beforehand, we would have held off on migrating those quizzes, especially now that the hard deadline to transition was cancelled.

I agree that the issue likely has something to do with New Quizzes being an LTI too.  Considering Respondus LockDown Browser appears to have a special integration with Canvas, the copy process was likely customized for Classic Quizzes to handle this.  Since New Quizzes are an LTI and they seem to be treated more as assignments than quizzes, they probably utilize an assignment-based copy process that doesn't include handling copying the Respondus settings.  If you look at the API documentation, the Quiz object doesn't include details about LockDown Browser.  However, if you look at the results of an API call to list Classic Quizzes, there are extra properties related to the settings for LockDown Browser, but the new API call to list New Quizzes, doesn't include any of these additional properties.  I have found though that the additional LockDown Browser settings are still saved as a part of the data for New Quizzes too when they are set-up to use LockDown Browser, but all of that data seems to be ignored during the copy process for New Quizzes.

I'm sorry to hear that you have the additional trouble of trying to handle the issues with the lock setting too.  I know our assignment names are already updated properly when we set them in the blueprint course and they get copied.  However, it sounds like the lock would probably prevent the Respondus settings from being saved too as a part of the Quiz data object since it has to be enabled in the associated course after the sync.

[pjonas1]

Any updates on this issue? It spend literally 1,000+ clicks at the start of every semester to turn on all the LockDown Browser settings for every quiz in every course. Plus about 100 copy-and-pastes for student instructions.

It's insane!

[JamesSekcienski]

@pjonas1 

My support ticket has been on hold for over a year with Canvas Support.  Each time I check for a status update, no progress has been made on resolving the issue and they are still investigating it.

I'm sorry to hear the pain you are dealing with the copy and paste for the instructions on top of re-activating the settings.  I really wish they would dedicate time to resolving this as it has created an unnecessary workload to fix each semester and still is not reported as a Known Issue in the Canvas Community.

[pjonas1]

🤜🤛

My case on this has been open since October 2021 if I recall correctly. I should ask for an update. 🙂 

[JamesSekcienski]

Yikes 😱  Our CSM today said that the team is supposed to be looking at issues with Respondus LockDown Browser and New Quizzes during Q2, so hopefully that means we will seem some progress on getting it resolved soon 🤞

[mbmacdonald]

Hi @JamesSekcienski - can you update here when your ticket finally gets resolved? I don't currently have this problem, but want to be aware of it for the future

[JamesSekcienski]

Hello @mbmacdonald,

Yes I plan on making an update here after the issue gets resolved. I have also been asking for this to be added to the Known Issues to make it easier for all users to be aware of and track the status, but still waiting for that to happen too.

[JamesSekcienski]

@mbmacdonald @pjonas1 @RebeccaMoulder 

I received a recent response that the Product & Engineering team is now considering this a "feature" rather than a bug due to the amount of work required to fix this this issue and that it doesn't currently exist for New Quizzes.  It will now need to handled through the Themes & Ideas process instead of a support ticket.

I have submitted it as an Idea and will need to wait to see when it gets addressed: New Quizzes Fail to Include Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor Settings When Copied